Bravo 'confirms OC Housewives premiere'

Bravo has announced the premiere date for its forthcoming season of The Real Housewives of Orange County.

The fifth season of the series is to debut on Thursday, November 5, according to Buddy TV.

The show has been off the air for seven months, barring a 'Lost Footage' episode which aired in June. Alexis Bellino, a 32-year-old full-time mother to three small children, will replace long-time castmate Jeana Keough on the series.

Remaining co-stars Tamra Barney, Lynne Curtin, Vicki Gunvalson and Gretchen Rossi are to catch fans up on their lives in between seasons, while the fifth installment of Orange County will also center on the women living opulently during the global recession.

It was announced recently that Bravo plans to set the next Real Housewives franchise in Washington, DC.